Villain
by Phoenix Dayze
Summary: He stared down at Cloud. At the pristine beauty, the youthful face marred only by the pain he’d inflicted, the haunting shadows creeping over the innocent blue of his eyes. Eyes once full of questions and the damning hopes of childhood dreams. Hopes Sephi


Villain  
By: Phoenix Dayze  
(Cloud/Sephiroth)  
PG-13

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy. This is only for fun.

The blade cut through Cloud's shoulder with a whiz of metallic accuracy, imbedding itself in the stone behind him. It had been so easy. So beautifully satisfying to take him down. So pleasurable to watch him fall. In the old days, he may have simply gutted him where he lay, but now… A horrible smile stretched across the angelic mouth. …now there was just too much fun to be had to allow his opponent such a merciful death.

He stared down at Cloud. At the pristine beauty, the youthful face marred only by the pain he'd inflicted, the haunting shadows creeping over the innocent blue of his eyes. Eyes once full of questions and the damning hopes of childhood dreams. Hopes Sephiroth had killed a long time ago. Admittedly, it may have been wrong to strip an innocent child of his future, but something about the boy had always haunted him. He always felt crueler, more malicious when he was in Cloud's presence, seeing in the boy's eyes an image he didn't recognize. A reflection he didn't want to accept. Deep in the ethereal blue, he always stared into the searing green eyes of a cold, heartless villain. And more than that, Cloud appeared to perceive him as so. 

He'd begun to fight back. Taking Cloud apart piece by piece. His dream of being SOLDIER. His hometown. His mother. His freedom. His friends… His lovers… He'd taken them all. But the boy was resilient. He was still back for more. Ever intent on being the hero. And now, Sephiroth would take the only thing he had left… his life. But not yet…

He twisted the blade, reveling in the low hiss that escaped Cloud's lips. "Tell me, Cloud," he asked curiously. "Why do you keep coming back? Haven't you learned by now to stay away?"

Cloud peered up at him, his eyes following the endless blade. "How could I?" Pain was evident in his voice. "You still need me."

"Do I?" Sephiroth gave a wry chuckle. "In what way?"

"You're still trying to find yourself."

What ever humor there was bled from Sephiroth's gaze. His voice was hard. "Am I?"

Cloud flinched as the blade dug deeper into his shoulder. "Ever since we've met you've been searching me, trying to find something, then trying to kill what you found. And now there's nothing left but me."

Sephiroth's eyes sizzled with barely restrained wrath. "Did you ever consider the fact that maybe I just hate you?"

"I think," Cloud admitted, "that it's yourself that you hate."

"Is that right?" Ice dripped from his tone.

"I think you look at me, and hate who you are because you see something better."

Sephiroth twisted the sword viciously and Cloud bit back a cry. _How dare he be so presumptuous! How dare he see through your wretched façade! How dare he voice your unspeakable inner loathing! How dare he know the truth. Every time he saw Cloud, he recognized what he could have been. What he should have been. And every time he searched Cloud's eyes for a sign of hope. But all he ever found were the blazing green eyes of a monster._

"Sephiroth," Cloud's voice cut through the fog of his anger. "You've been so hung up on what you saw _in_ my eyes, you never bothered to wonder what I saw _through_ them."

Sephiroth stared down at him, confusion lighting across his gaze as Cloud continued. "I always saw you as strong and dedicated, a clever and efficient leader. You were never a monster to me. You were just… Sephiroth." His blue eyes were filled with a plea for understanding. "Don't you see? When I look in _your_ eyes, I see myself…" Cloud's voice was low, nearly inaudible. "You're no more villain than I."

Confusion rippled over Sephiroth's consciousness. _Cloud saw himself in his eyes. Did that mean that Cloud recognized pieces of himself in Sephiroth? Did that mean there was hope for him yet? Or did it simply mean that Cloud too has a dark side? Maybe they weren't so different after all? Maybe all they were was the ghost of each other, seeing in the other's eyes the phantom of what they'd believed they'd become._

Leaving the blade imbedded in the stone and keeping Cloud pinned down, Sephiroth released the hilt and knelt down before the injured man. Taking Cloud's face between his gloved hands he stared into the equally searching eyes. For just a moment he though he could see… the reflection of Cloud's reflection in his own eyes… but it faded as quickly as it came and he was once again staring into the eyes of the demon.

He caressed down Cloud's face. Leaning over, he placed a gentle kiss against the young man's lips. "I don't think I need you anymore." He whispered. Rising back to his feet, he took his sword back in hand.

"Now…" He said with feral amusement. "Tell me what you cherish most. Give me the pleasure of taking it away…" 

The End.


End file.
